Methods of and apparatus for continuously reeling strand material

ABSTRACT

A pair of transversely aligned arbors are rotatably cantilevered at opposite ends of a vertically disposed rotatable turret. Each arbor is provided with a plurality of internally floating, camoperated mechanisms for locking a take-up reel thereon. Independent drive mechanisms drive the reels separately at varying speeds. A snagger device is cantedly mounted on the cantilevered end of each arbor for rotation therewith and extends a radial distance slightly greater than the adjacent flange of the reel thereon to oscillate between two points coplanar with respect to the inner and outer surfaces of the flange, respectively. A distributor adjacent to one of the reels actively taking up the strand is provided with a reversible drive screw for driving a traversable strand guide controlled alternately by a stationary limit switch adjacent to the reel flange associated with the snagger and a rectilinearly movable limit switch mounted on a second drive screw and normally positioned adjacent to the opposite reel flange. Prior to cutover from a full reel to an empty reel, when a footage counter indicates that a length of strand approximating one layer of convolutions thereof remains to be taken up: (a) the turret is rotated 180* to position an empty reel between the distributor and the nearly full reel; and (b) the second drive screw is actuated to move the movable limit switch toward the stationary limit switch at the traverse speed of the strand guide. The limit switches continue to control the reversal of the first drive screw. When the remaining length of strand is taken up and the advancing strand is traveling close to the inside flange of the empty reel, the snagger associated therewith is thrust into the path of the strand to grip and sever its connection to the full reel and to commence winding thereof upon the empty reel. The full reel is replaced by an empty reel to await the next cutover operation.

United Brown mics tent [1 1 Get. 30, 1973 METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY REELING STRAND MATERIAL [75] inventor: William Brownloe Brown, Pasadena,

Md. [73] Assignee: Western Electric Company,

Incorporated, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.1 280,368

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 150,283, June 7, 1971, Pat. No.

[52] 11.5. C1 242/158.2, 242/25 A, 242/l58.4 R [51] Int. Cl B6511 57/28 [58] Field of Search 242/25 A, 158.2,

Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath Assistant ExaminerMilton S. Gerstein Att0rney-W. M. Kain et al.

57 0 ABSTRACT A pair of transversely aligned arbors are rotatably cantilevered at opposite ends of a vertically disposed totatable turret. Each arbor is provided with a plurality of internally floating, cam-operated mechanisms for locking a take-up reel thereon. Independent drive mechanisms drive the reels separately at varying speeds. A snagger device is cantedly mounted on the cantilevered end of each arbor for rotation therewith and extends a radial distance slightly greater than the adjacent flange of the reel thereon to oscillate between two points coplanar with respect to the inner and outer surfaces of the flange, respectively. A distributor adjacent to one of the reels actively taking up the strand is provided with a reversible drive screw for driving a traversable strand guide controlled alternately by a stationary limit switch adjacent to the reel flange associated with the snagger and a rectilinearly movable limit switch mounted on a second drive screw and normally positioned adjacent to the opposite reel flange. Prior to cutover from a full reel to an empty reel, when a footage counter indicates that a length of strand approximating one layer of convolutions thereof remains to be taken up: (a) the turret is rotated 180 to position an empty reel between the distributor and the nearly full reel; and (b) the second drive screw is actuated to move the movable limit switch toward the stationary limit switch at the traverse speed of the strand guide. The limit switches continue to control the reversal of the first drive screw. When the remaining length of strand is taken up and the advancing strand is traveling close to the inside flange of the empty reel, the snagger associated therewith is thrust into the path of the strand to grip and sever its connection to the full reel and to commence winding thereof upon the empty reel. The full reel is replaced by an empty reel to await the next cutover operation.

10 Claims, 27 Drawing Figures United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,768,751

Brown 1 Oct. 30, 1973 PATENIEDHEI 30 i975 SHEET 03UF 12 PATENTEU 30 I973 .768.751 SHEET UBDF 12 PAIENIEflumso ISIS 3.768.751

sum 09 or 12 PAIENIEUncrao ms 3.768.751 sum 10 or '12 DIST MOTOR 3 5mm mil 344 E x I W5 348 340 FILTER 339 RESERVOIR FIG 23 AIR I r350 R v SUPPLY 4 i TURRET ROTATE TURRE T LOC K PATENTEUUUT 30 um 3.768.751

sum 12 0F 12 CLUTCH RELEASE REEL UNLOCK 370 FIG 25 FIG. 26

METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY REELING STRAND MATERIAL This is a division, of application Ser. No. 150,283 filed June 7, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,701,471.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for continuously reeling strand material and more particularly to methods of and apparatus for taking up a continuously advancing strand automatically onto a pair of take-up reels releasably secured to a pair of transversely aligned arbors rotatably mounted in cantilever fashion on a centrally pivotable turret.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the manufacture of strand material, for example, plastic insulated conductor wire, a finished insulated wire is directed continuously from an extruding process at a substantially constant linear speed. In order that the extrusion process may continue without interruption, it is common practice to take up the finished wire onto successive or alternate reels of a strand-reeling apparatus.

When a predetermined length of insulated wire has been wound upon one of the take-up reels, the advancing wire is transferred to an empty take-up reel without interrupting the advancement of the wire emerging from the extruding apparatus. When the reels are aligned transversely, i.e., for rotation about spaced parallel axes, a snagger device may be mounted for rotation adjacent to a flange of each reel. To accomplish transfer of the wire from a full reel to an empty reel or cutover, as it is called, relative movement must occur between the snagger associated with the empty reel and the insulated wire for the former to intercept, sever and capture the latter for subsequent take-up on the empty reel. During this cutover operation it is desirable to avoid a sudden diversion of the path of the wire into the snagger since the stress produced in the wire, especially if it is being advanced at high speed, may be sufficient to cause the wire to break before snagging occurs. For the same reason it is desirable to avoid subsequent contact between a later advanced section of the wire and the snagger after cutover to the empty reel has occurred. In this connection the relative movement between the advancing insulated wire and the snagger must be kept to a minimum. It follows, therefore, that cutover should occur when the wire is closest to the flange of the empty reel adjacent to the snagger. This has been considered the most favorable position for transfer of the wire.

One method of assuring that a wire will be in a favorable position for transfer is to cause the distributor to remain in a fixed position adjacent to the flange of the reel associated with the snagger when the reel taking up the wire is almost full. The use of this method, however, involves the risk of wire tangling and breakage due to the occurrence of wire pile-up at the flange.

Another method of assuring that a wire will be in a favorable position for transfer is to cause the stroke of the wire distributor to be shortened to a path lying towards the flange adjacent to the snagger at a time immediately prior to cutover. The use of this method, however, does not carry an assurance that transfer of the wire will take place when the distance between the wire and the flange adjacent to the snagger is at a minimum.

It is also desirable to design a take-up apparatus to be compatible with various types of automatic loading and unloading facilities which may be utilized to minimize handling of the reels or the apparatus by an operator and thus avoid the risk of injury to the operator or damage to the reels, the wire or the apparatus.

Finally, it is desirable to provide automatic means for positively locking the rotatable reels in place during the operation of the apparatus and for unlocking the reels to permit easy removal thereof as they are filled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for reeling strand material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for taking up a continuously advancing strand onto transversely aligned, rotatable take-up reels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for distributing strand material onto a takeup reel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for dis tributing and winding strand material, such as, for example, insulated conductor wire, on successive reels without stopping the distributing and winding of the material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for controlling the distribution of strand material onto a takeup reel just prior to and during the time in which the strand is transferred from a full reel to an empty reel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for distributing a predetermined amount of advancing strand in superimposed layers of convolutions between first and second axial limits on the winding surface of a take-up reel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for distributing a length of strand substantially equal to one final layer of convolutions thereof between first and second boundaries on the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for gripping an advancing strand.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved snagging device for a continuous take-up unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for snagging an advancing strand guided past a take-up element and in proximity to the periphery thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for effecting the transfer of a moving strand from a first driven reel to a second driven reel aligned transversely with the first reel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for snagging an advancing strand being distributed onto a takeup reel when a predetermined amount of strand has been taken up on the reel and for winding the snagged strand onto an empty reel without subsequent risk of breaking the wire.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for supporting a hollow cylindrical article.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for releasably supporting a reel.

A method of taking up a continuously advancing strand onto first and second transversely aligned takeup reels mounted for rotation about spaced, parallel axes, embodying certain features of the invention, may include driving the first reel, distributing the advancing strand onto the first reel by guiding the strand back and forth across the winding surface of the first reel to wind successive layers of convolutions thereon, driving the second reel, interchanging the positions of the reels to position the second reel along the path of the strand being distributed onto the first reel, altering the distribution of strand onto the first reel in a predetermined sequence wherein the equivalent of the final layer of convolutions of strand is guided onto a part of the winding surface of the first reel, the end of the sequence occurring when the strand is being guided past a predetermined end of the second reel, and transferring the distributed strand from the first reel to the second reel at a time coincident with the end of the sequence.

An apparatus for taking up a continuously advancing strand onto first and second transversely aligned takeup reels mounted for rotation about spaced, parallel axes, embodying certain features of the invention, may include means for driving the first reel, means for distributing the advancing strand onto the first reel by guiding the strand back and forth across the winding surface of the first reel to wind successive layers of convolutions thereon, means for driving the second reel, means for interchanging the positions of the reels to position the second reel along the path of the strand being distributed onto the first reel, means for altering the distribution of the strand onto the first reel in a predetermined sequence wherein the equivalent of the final layer of convolutions of strand is guided onto a part of the winding surface of the first reel, the end of the sequence occurring when the strand is being guided past a predetermined end of the second reel, and means for transferring the distributed strand from the first reel to the second reel at a time coincident with the end of the sequence.

A method of controlling the distribution of a predetermined length of continuously advancing strand onto and traversing the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel reversibly between first and second longitudinally spaced limits, embodying certain features of the invention, may include moving the second limit linearly toward the first limit at a speed substantially equal to the speed of traverse of the strand, reversing the direction of traverse of the strand when it reaches the moving second limit, and terminating the advancement of the strand onto the reel at a time subsequent to the reversal of the strand at the moving second limit when the strand is next adjacent to the first limit.

An apparatus for controlling the distribution of a predetermined amount of continuously advancing strand onto and traversing the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel reversibly between first and second longitudinally spaced limits, embodying certain features of the invention, may include means for moving the second limit linearly toward the first limit at a speed substantially equal to the speed of traverse of the advancing strand, means for reversing the direction of traverse of the advancing strand when it reaches the moving second limit, and means for terminating the advancement of the strand onto the reel at a time subsequent to the reversal of the strand at the moving second limit when the strand is next adjacent to the first limit.

A method of gripping an advancing strand embodying certain features of the invention may include revolving a snagger about a first axis in an annular path having an axis intersecting the first axis at an angle to oscillate the snagger between a pair of spaced planes perpendicular to the first axis, and imparting relative movement between the advancing strand and the snagger to position the strand in a path between the spaced planes intersecting the path of the revolving snagger to cause the snagger to intercept and grip the strand.

An apparatus for gripping an advancing strand, embodying certain features of the invention, may include a snagger mounted for revolution about a first axis in a annular path having an axis intersecting the first axis at an angle, means driving the snagger for oscillating the snagger between a pair of spaced parallel planes perpendicular to the first axis, means for imparting relative movement between the advancing strand and the snagger to position the strand in a path between the spaced planes intersecting the path of the revolving snagger whereby the snagger intercepts and grips the strand.

An apparatus for supporting a hollow, cylindrical article, embodying certain features of the invention, may include a hollow, generally cylindrical hub having a peripheral article mounting surface formed with an aperture therethrough adjacent to the article mounting surface, means on the hub, longitudinally spaced from the aperture, for abutting an annular edge of the article, a member having a transverse projection formed on a longitudinal body, the member being loosely disposed longitudinally within the hub and confined for limited longitudinal and lateral movement therein with the projection thereon adjacent to the aperture, resilient means associated with the elongated member for urging the member pivotally toward the axis of the hub to urge the projection thereon away from the aperture aligned therewith, an actuator disposed within the hub for axial movement, and means for rendering the actuator operable to move axially within the hub into engagement with the member to pivot the member against the effect of the resilient means away from the axis of the hub to cause the projection to protrude through the aperture to engage a section of an opposite annular edge on the article frictionally to secure the article onto the hub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and various features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of a strand take up apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing an advancing strand being guided by a distributor and wound upon one of a pair of take-up reels mounted on a pair of arbors supported on a rotational turret;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the closest and remotest points at which an orbiting snagger, retracted into a rotating snagger support, is proximate to a flange on a take-up reel adjacent to and rotating with the snagger support;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the proximity of the orbiting snagger to the flange on the take-up reel after the snagger is moved from a retracted position within the support to an extended position partially without the support;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational schematic illustration of the relative positions of the turret, the take-up reels and a pair of snagger devices during the normal take-up operation;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the turret, the take-up reels and the snagger devices taken along lines 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. it is a front elevational schematic illustration of the relative positions of the turret, the take-up reels and the snagger devices at a time just prior to cutover from a full reel to an empty reel when the turret has been rotated 180 from the position shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the turret, the take-up reels and the snagger devices, taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational schematic illustration of the take-up reels and snagger devices at the instant of cutover;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational schematic illustration of the take-up reels and snagger devices at a time immediately subsequent to cutover;

FIG. I2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the distributor shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrating the manner in which a strand is controlled to assure cutover of the apparatus at the proper time;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a first one-way clutch, taken along the lines I3ll3 of FIG. 12;

FIG. I4 is a sectional view of a second one-way clutch, taken along the lines 1414 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a supporting arrangement for the turret and a rotatable reel mounting arbor of the apparatus of FIG. 1, taken along lines 15-15 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a snagger associated with the take-up apparatus;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the snagger of FIG. 14 in an assembled condition illustrating the manner in which a strand may be gripped thereby or removed therefrom;

FIG. 1% is a sectional view of one of the rotatable snagger devices illustrating a portion of a mechanism for actuating a snagger;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the remainder of the snagger actuating mechanism taken along the lines 1919 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 2b is a sectional view of three mechanisms for locking a reel onto an arbor taken along the lines 2tl20 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of an arbor illustrating the manner in which one of the locking mechanisms is actuated for releasing a reel from an arbor;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the drive system for the distributor, the turret and the arbors associated with the take-up apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a schematic representation of a hydraulic control system for a strand-reeling apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 24 is a schematic representation of a pneumatic system for a strand-reeling apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGS. 25 and 26, taken together, represent a schematic representation of an electrical control system for a strand-reeling apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention, and

FIG. 27 illustrates the manner in which FIGS. 25 and 26 are to be combined.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 1. General Description of the Take-up Operation Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a take-up apparatus, generally indicated at 30 for taking up an advancing strand 3ll continuously. The strand 31 may be, for example, an insulated wire, advanced at a substantially constant relatively high speed from an insulation extruder (not shown) by a conventional motor drive (not shown).

The apparatus 30 includes a flat, rigid base plate 32 for supporting a frame 33 upon which is mounted a wire distributor 36 and a centrally pivotable support arm or turret 37. The turret 37 is journaled in a sleeve bearing 38 mounted in a hub 41 secured to the frame 33, for rotation about a central axis C. A pair of transversely aligned, reel-supporting spindles or arbors 42-42 are mounted in cantilever fashion on turret 37 for rotation about spaced axes which are parallel to the axis C of the turret 37.

A pair of identical take-up reels 4343, each comprising a cylindrical winding surface or drum 46 and a pair of flanges 4747 secured fixedly at opposite ends of the drum 46, are mounted on arbors d242 and are rotatable therewith. As will become more apparent from the following description, locking means associated with each arbor 42 releasably secure each reel 43 thereon.

The distributor 36 includes a traversible strand guide 48 which is reciprocated horizontally to guide the advancing insulated wire 31 across the drum 46 of the reel 43 in the upper position on the turret 37 adjacent to the distributor 36 to distribute successively advanced sections of insulated wire 31 in superimposed layers of convolutions on the upper reel 43.

A triggerable snagger device 51 is mounted at a supported end of each arbor 42 and is rotatable therewith. Each snagger device SI includes a snagger clamp or snagger 52 normally maintained in a retracted position within a snagger support 53 which rotates with its associated arbor. Each snagger support 53 is mounted at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of each arbor 42 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) to orbit each snagger 52 about an axis of revolution which intersects the axis of the arbor 42 but is not axially coincident therewith. The snagger 52 is positioned at a slightly greater radial distance from the axis of arbor 4-2 than the peripheral edge of the flange 47 on the reel 43 adjacent thereto.

As seen from FIG. 4, during its orbital movement the retracted snagger 52 traverses from a point in a plane 56 approximately flush with the outside face of flange 47 to a point in a plane 37 approximately flush with the inside face of the flange 47. Similarly, as seen from FIG. 5, the snagger 52 may be triggered to move out of the support 53 from its retracted position therein into an extended position, to traverse, while it orbits, from a point in a plane 58 approximately flush with the inside face of reel flange 47 to a point in a plane 61 spaced from the inside face of flange 47.

FIGS. 6 to 11, inclusive, illustrate schematically a series of steps in an exemplary cutover operation wherein the advancing insulated wire 31 is transferred from a full reel to an empty reel to continue taking up wire 31. During normal operation (FIGS. 6 and 7) one reel 43 is in an active condition on the upper part of turret 37, taking up wire 31. When the active reel 43 is nearly full, eg when an amount of accumulated strand equal to a predetermined amount of wire less than the amount desired to constitute a full reel is detected by a footage counting system, turret 37 is rotated 180 to revolve the active reel 43 to a lower loading and unloading position (F165. 8 and 9) l80 away from its former position. At the same time a passive or empty reel 43 is revolved from the lower loading and unloading position into the upper position formerly occupied by the active reel 43. At this time the active reel 43 continues to rotate in the lower position on turret 37 to continue taking up insulated wire 31, now passing across drum 46 of the empty reel 43, which is ac celeratedly driven to ultimate take-up speed.

As set forth in detail in the following description, when a predetermined amount of wire 31, representative of a full reel, has been taken up on the active reel 43 a footage counter detects this condition and triggers the snagger $2 associated with the empty reel 43 to extend the snagger 52 outwardly into the path of the wire 31 passing in proximity to the reel flange 47 adjacent to the snagger device 51 to intercept, grip and break the connection of the wire 31 to the full reel 43 at a point between the reels 4343 (FIGS. 10 and 11).

The distributor 36 is operated to alter the movement of the strand guide 48 to position the path of travel of the wire 31 near the flange d7 of the empty reel 43 adjacent to the snagger $2 just prior to the time that the latter is triggered to insure that cutover occurs at the moment when the predetermined amount of wire 31 is taken up on the full reel 43.

After cutover takes place, subsequently advanced sections of wire 31 are wound onto the newly activated formerly empty reel 43 in the upper position on turret 37. Since the wire 31 only approaches the newly activated reel 43 from a side thereof opposite the side on which the snagger 52 caught the wire 31, i.e., from the side of the reel nearest to the distributor 36, and since the snagger 52 is traversed away from adjacent flange 37 when it is orbited to that side of the reel, there is no need to retract the snagger 52 after it is triggered to prevent it from i e-snagging the oncoming wire. The full reel 4'13 in the lower position on turret 37 is then stopped from rotating and removed from the arbor 42 and a new empty reel is loaded thereon to await the next cutover cycle. Since the loading and unloading of the reels aft-43 on arbors 42- 12 takes place in the lower position on turret 37, the arrangement may be used with various types of automatic reel loading and unloading facilities.

2. Automatic Take-up Apparatus A. Distributor Assembly Referring now to FIG. 12, the distributor 36 includes a reversible fluid-operated motor 62 secured to a left end support 63 of a housing 66. The motor 62 is coupled to a drive shaft 67 through sleeve couplings 68 and 71. The drive shaft 67 is rotatably supported in suitable bearings mounted in a pair of cross braces 72 and 73 and is coupled to one end of a first device screw 76 rotatably supported at its other end in a suitable bearing mounted in a right end support 77 of housing 66. The strand guide 48 includes a roller support plate 78 secured to a movable support arm 81 fastened to a threaded sleeve 82, threadedly mounted for reciprocating movement along drive screw 76. A roller 83 on arm 81 engages the underside of a side brace 86 on housing 66. A pair of spaced guide rollers 8787 are rotatably mounted on the support plate 78 for guiding the advancing insulated wire 31 therebetween and reciprocally onto the winding drum 46 of a rotating take-up reel 43.

A pair of spaced, gear-driven first and second oneway clutches, generally indicated at 88 and 89 respectively, are mounted adjacent to one another on drive shaft 67. Clutches 88 and 3? are operatively coupled to a second drive shaft 91 rotatably supported at one end in suitable bearings in cross brace 72 and coupled at the other end through a selectively actuable third clutch 92 to a second drive screw 93, rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in cross brace 73 and the right end support 77 of housing 66.. The one-way clutches 88 and 39 function to convert the reversible rotary movement of the shaft 67 by the motor 62 to substantially continuous, unidirectional, rotary movement of the shaft 91 such that the shaft 91 always rotates in the same direction, regardless of the direction of rotation of shaft 67.

The conversion of the reversible movement of the shaft 67 into unidirectional movement of the shaft 91 is accomplished by arranging each of the one-way clutches 88 and 89 to slip when shaft 67 is rotated in a first direction and to rotate shaft 91 counterclockwise when shaft 67 is rotated in a second opposite direction. As illustrated in FEGS. 13 and 14, a gear 96 of clutch 88 is arranged to slip in response to clockwise rotation of shaft 67 and to couple shaft 67 to shaft 91 through gears 97 and 9& to rotate shaft 91 counterclockwise in response to counterclockwise rotation of shaft 67. Conversely, a gear 101 of clutch 89 is arranged to slip in response to counterclockwise rotation of shaft 67 and to couple shaft 67 to shaft 91 through a gear 102 to rotate shaft 91 counterclockwise in response to clockwise rotation of shaft 67. Thus clutches 88 and 9 function to rotate shaft 91 counterclockwise in response to any rotational movement of shaft 67.

A first control limit switch M13 is mounted on an arm 106 secured to a threaded sleeve 10'? threadedly mounted for movement along the drive screw 93. Threaded sleeve 107 and drive screw 93 are formed with the same pitch or lead per revolution as threaded sleeve 82 and drive screw 76, respectively. Arm 106, having a roller 168 thereon which engages the underside of brace 86, is formed with a pad 11th thereon normally engaging a stop 111 in right end support 77. Limit switch 103 is normally positioned adjacent to the right end support 77 of housing 66 at a spaced distance from a second control limit switch 11?. fixedly mounted on the cross brace 73. During normal operation of the distributor 36, the support arm 81 is driven along and by the drive screw 76 until either of two switch actuators 113 or 116 fastened on opposite sides of arm 81 actuates control limit switch 103 or 112, respectively aligned therewith, alternately to reverse the direction of distributor motor 62 and thus reverse drive screw 76 to impart conventional reciprocating movement to the strand guide 43 to guide an advancing wire 31 through guide rollers 87-87 to distribute wire 31 evenly onto the winding drum 46 of a take-up reel 43 between flanges 4757 thereof.

The third clutch 92 is normally disengaged to maintain the drive screw 93 in a nondriven condition to maintain the limit switch 103 in a nonmoving position adjacent to the right end support 77.

As mentioned previously, in order to initiate the snagging operation, the insulated wire 31 must be in a position immediately adjacent to the leftmost flange 47 of the take-up reel 43 adjacent to the snagger device 51. To insure the timely occurrence of this condition, a footage counting system or counter 117 (FIG. 25) is actuated when a predetermined length of wire representing one final layer of convolutions thereof remains to be taken up by the reel 43 in the upper active position on turret 37. The counter 117 continuously monitors the length in feet of the wire 31 wound upon the active take-up reel 43. At a time when the count on the counter 117 indicates that a predetermined amount of insulated wire 31 remains to be taken up to make a full reel, a first preset signal is generated on an output P1 of the counter 1 17 which alters the operation of the distributor 36 to insure that the wire 31 is in a position near to the reel flange 47 associated with the snagger device 51 at the time the snagging operation is to occur.

To illustrate the operation of the distributor 36, it is assumed that the strand guide 48 is being reciprocated normally in reverse directions along a rectilinear path having a length Y equal to the width of a reel 43 between flanges 47-47, if lead angles are neglected, when counter 117 generates a signal on output P1. At this time the support arm 78 can be traveling either to the right or to the left in FIG. 12 and the turret 37 is rotated 180 to position the almost full reel below the empty reel.

For the purpose of this illustration it is assumed that 1,000 feet of wire remains to be taken up when the counter 117 generates a signal on output P1 and that one complete layer of convolutions of wire 31 in substantially the last full layer thereof is substantially equal to 1,000 feet. It is desired to complete the take-up of this final 1,000 feet of wire 31 at the leftmost flange 47 of the empty reel 43. Since the reels 43-43 are transversely aligned, passage of wire 31 near the left flange of either reel occurs at the same time. The advancing wire 31 therefore, and thus the strand guide 48, must be traversed a distance Y across the reel 43 and end up at the leftmost flange 47.

1f strand guide 43 is traveling to the right when the counting system 117 indicates that an additional 1,000 feet of wire is needed to complete the almost full reel 43, a signal on output P1 of counter 117 energizes a solenoid 1118 (F16. 26) to actuate the clutch 92 to drive the second drive screw 93 through driven shaft 67, clutch 08 and shaft 91 to move the limit switch 103 toward the limit switch 112. Since the relationship between drive screw 93 and sleeve 107 is identical to the relationship between drive screw 76 and sleeve 82, the

arm 106 is driven by drive screw 93 at the same rate of speed with which the arm 81 is driven by drive screw 76. if, as shown, the distance between the guide rollers 8787 on the support plate 78 to the left flange 47 of reel 43 is X, the strand guide 48 will continue to be moved to the right until it has traveled a distance when the actuator 113 on arm 81 engages the moving limit switch 103 to reverse drive screw 76. The strand guide 43 is then moved to the left through a distance to a position immediately adjacent to the left flange 47. At this time the strand guide 48 has traveled a total distance of which is equal to Y from the time the clutch 92 was actuated by the counter 117, representing substantially one complete layer of convolutions of wire 31 on the reel 43. Since this layer of convolutions is assumed to equal 1,000 feet, the occurrence of a completed reel takes place precisely adjacent to the leftmost reel flange 47. At this time the counter 117 generates a signal on a second preset output P2 thereof to initiate the snagging operation, described in detail below.

When the actuator 113 on the support arm 81 engages the moving limit switch 103, the clutch 92 is deactuated to cease coupling the shaft 91 to the second drive screw 93 and a pneumatic cylinder 121, having a movable piston 122 in engagement with the limit switch 103 is actuated to return the limit switch 103 to its normal position adjacent to the end support 77. Since clutch 92 is disengaged, the actuating screw 93 is free to be rotated clockwise by the return movement of the movable limit switch 103 under the control of cylinder 121.

As will become more apparent from the description below with respect to FlGS. 24, 25 and 26, cylinder 121 is actuated by a spring-return solenoid-operated control valve 123 under the control of a solenoid 124 energized each time limit switch 103 is actuated by switch actuator 116. The actuation of cylinder 121, however, is effective to move switch 103 only at those times when switch 103 is away from end support 77.

If the first present signal output P1 is energized when the strand guide 48 is moving to the left, with the guide rollers 87-87 at a distance X from the left reel flange 47, the clutch 92 is actuated to rotate the second drive screw 93 and move arm 106 and the limit switch 103 thereon toward the limit switch 112 at the same rate of speed with which the support arm 81 and strand guide 48 is moved by drive screw 76. In this case the strand guide 40 continues to travel to the left until the actuator 116 on support arm 81 engages the fixed limit switch 112 to reverse the direction of drive screw 76. At this time the strand guide 40 and the moving limit switch 103 both have traveled a distance The strand guide 48, thereafter, is caused to move to the right through a distance when the actuator 113 engages the moving limit switch 103 to cause the drive screw 76 to be reversed to reverse the direction of the strand guide 48 which then is driven to the left. As previously mentioned, the acutation of the moving limit switch 103 causes the clutch 92 to be deactuated to cease driving the second drive screw 93 and the cylinder 121 is actuated to return the limit switch 103 to its normal position adjacent to the end support 77. The strand guide 48 continues moving to the left, until the wire 31 is in a position immediately adjacent to the leftmost flange 47 of reel 43, traveling through a distance The total distance thus traveled by the strand guide 48 from the time the clutch 92 was actuated by the counter 117 is which is equal to Y, representing substantially one complete layer of convolutions of wire 31 on the reel 43. In this case, as in the one previously mentioned, the occurrence of the completed reel occurs when the path of the wire 31 is precisely adjacent to the leftmost flanges 47*47 of reels 43-43. At this time a signal is generated on the second preset counter output P2 to initiate the operation of the snagger device 51.

Thus it is seen that the distributor 36 may be controlled to insure that the path of the wire 31 being taken up is adjacent to the left flange 47 of the reel 43 adjacent to the snagger device 51 at the time of cutover.

B. Turret and Arbor Assembly Referring to FIG. 15, each arbor 42 includes a hub 126 secured to a hollow shaft 127 mounted for rotation in bearings 128-428 in a hub 129 and bearings 131 mounted in a sleeve 132, both aligned with one another and formed in turret 37. A reel 43 may be mounted on hub 126 with a bevelled interior face 133 of drum 46 in frictional engagement with a chamfered edge 136 of a flange 137 formed on the hollow shaft 127.

A central hub 138 formed in the turret 37 is journaled in the sleeve bearing 38 disposed in the hub 41 on the frame 33. Each end of the turret 37 is provided with a roller bearing 139 fastened to a plate 141 secured to each end of the turret 37. Each bearing 139 is designed to perform one of two functions, dependent upon the position of the turret end associated therewith. The bearing 139 at the end of the turret 37 in the upper position engages a microswitch 142 when the turret is vertically aligned as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Microswitch 142 controls a solenoid 143 (FIGS. 24 and 25) which selectively operates a valve 146 to actuate a pneumatic cylinder 147 which causes a turret lock 148 (FIGS. 22 and 24) to lock turret 37 from rotational movement and to disengage the driving means therefor. The bearing 139 in the lower position on vertically aligned turret 37 is received in a slot 151 on a support 152 secured to base plate 32 to prevent lateral movement or cambering of turret 37.

A hollow shaft 153is journaled in a set of bearings 156 mounted in central hub 138. A pulley 157 keyed to hollow shaft 153 is drivably connected to a pulley 158 keyed to hollow shaft 127 through a timing belt 161. Rotational movement of shaft 153 is imparted to arbor 42 through pulley 157, pulley 158 and shaft 127.

A solid shaft 162, coaxial with shaft 153, is journaled in bearings 164 mounted in hollow shaft 153. A pulley 163 keyed to solid shaft 162 is drivably connected to a pulley 166 (FIG. 22), similar to pulley 158 and keyed to the shaft 127 associated with the oppositely aligned arbor 42, through a timing belt 167. Rotational movement of shaft 162 is imparted to arbor 42 through pulley 163, pulley 166 and shaft 127.

C. Snagger Assembly FIG. 15 shows a snagger support gear 171, having circumferentially spaced teeth 172-172, and mounted for rotation on bearings 173-173 on hub 129 of turret 37. Gear 171 is formed with an eccentric peripheral bearing seat 176 having a circumferential surface canted with respect to the circumferential surface defined by the spaced teeth 172-172. More specifically, the centerline or central axis of the bearing seat 176 on gear 171 intersects the central axis of the teeth 172172 thereof at an approximate angle of 1 counterclockwise from a horizontal reference in FIG. 15. One gear 171 is associated with each arbor 42 but is not drivably connected thereto. Though each gear 171 is rotatable about an axis through its associated arbor 42, and the central axis of bearing seat 176 on gear 171 generates a right circular conical locus about an axis through arbor 42, the rotation of gear 171 is independent of the rotational movement of arbor 42.

Snagger support 53 is rotatably mounted on bearings 177-l77 mounted on the eccentric bearing seat 176 of gear 171. Snagger support 53 therefore assumes a canted orientation with respect to a plane normal to the central axis of arbor 42 and the central axis of turret 37. More specifically, the principal plane of snagger support 53 is tilted counterclockwise at an angle of approximately 1 from a vertical reference in FIG. 15.

One end of snagger support 53 is formed with an opening 178 for receiving the snagger 52. An opposite end of snagger support 53 is formed with a slot 181 for receiving a weight 182 fastened therein to counterbalance the snagger 52. A roller 183 rotatably mounted on a peripheral section of the flange 137 on shaft 127 extends into an aperture 186 formed in snagger support 53. Rotation of hollow shaft 127 causes roller 183 to bear against an adjacent edge of the aperture 186 to rotate snagger support 53 with the arbor 42. As previously mentioned, the snagger support 53 rotates with arbor 42 and at an angle with respect to the axis thereof to oscillate the snagger 52 toward the reel 43 on arbor 42 when snagger 52 is below a horizontal plane through the axis of arbor 42 and away from reel 43 when the snagger S2 is above a horizontal plane through the axis of arbor 42.

In order to maintain the canted orientation of the snagger device 51, the central axis of the bearing seat 176 on gear 171 must be maintained at a constant angle to a horizontal reference plane; otherwise a rotation of the turret 37 will position the gear 171 in an inverted position from that shown in FIG. 15 with the result that the orbiting snagger 52 will oscillate toward the reel 43 on arbor 42 when the snagger 52 is in a position above a horizontal plane through the axis of arbor 42. The occurrence of the foregoing condition would create the risk of interference with or re-Snagging of the wire 31 being distributed onto the reel 43 at a time subequent to cutover. To prevent the foregoing condition from occurring, the apparatus must be arranged such that for each increment of rotation of the turret 37, gear 171 must be rotated an equal increment in the 

1. A method of controlling the distribution of a predetermined length of continuously advancing strand onto and traversing the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel reversibly between first and second longitudinally spaced limits, which comprises the steps of: moving the second limit linearly toward the first limit at a speed substantially equal to the speed of traverse of the advancing strand; reversing the direction of traverse of the advancing strand when it reaches the moving second limit, and terminating the advancement of the strand onto the reel at a time subsequent to the reversal thereof at said moving second limit when the strand is next adjacent to the first limit.
 2. A method of controlling the distribution of a predetermined length of continuously advancing strand as set forth in claim 1 including the additional step of: measuring the length of strand accumulated on the reel from the time the second limit is moved until the measured length is equal to the predetermined length, and wherein the termination of advancement of the strand occurs in response to the accumulation of the predetermined length.
 3. A method of controlling the distribution of a length of strand material equal to one final layer of convolutions thereof between first and second boundaries on the winding surface of a rotating take-up element at a time when the advancing strand is being directed toward the first boundary, which comprises the steps of: reversing the direction of the strand when it is adjacent to the first boundary to direct it toward the second boundary; reversing the direction of the strand when it has traveled toward the second boundary a distance equal to one-half the distance it was originally positioned from said second boundary when the strand was adjacent to the first boundary to direct it toward said first boundary, and terminating the advancement of the strand when it is again adjacent the first boundary.
 4. A method of distributing a predetermined amount of advancing strand in superimposed layers of convolutions between first and second axially spaced limits on the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel, comprising the steps of: guiding the advancing strand transversely across the surface of the take-up reel in timed relation to the peripheral speed of the reel; reversing the direction of traverse of the advancing strand each time it reaches an axial limit; detecting a first accumulation of strand on the reel indicative of an amount of strand substantially equal to one layer of convolutions of strand less than the predetermined amount; moving the second axial limit axially toward said first axial limit at a speed equal to the speed of traverse of the advancing strand in response to the detection of the first accumulation; detecting a second accumulation of strand on the reel indicative of the predetermined amount, and terminating the advancement of the strand onto said winding surface when the strand is in the vicinity of the first limit subsequent to a reversal at the moving second limit in response to the detection of the second accumulation, whereby the accumulation of the predetermined amount of strand on the reel occurs near the first axial limit.
 5. Apparatus for controlling the distribution of a predetermined amount of continuously advancing strand onto and traversing the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel reversibly between first and second loNgitudinally spaced limits, comprising: means for moving the second limit linearly toward the first limit at a speed substantially equal to the speed of traverse of the advancing strand; means for reversing the direction of traverse of the advancing strand when it reaches the moving second limit, and means for terminating the advancement of the strand onto the reel at a time subsequent to the reversal thereof at said moving second limit when the strand is next adjacent to said first limit.
 6. An apparatus for controlling the distribution of a predetermined amount of continuously advancing strand onto the winding surface of a rotating take-up reel as set forth in claim 5, including: means for measuring the length of strand accumulated on the reel from the time the second limit is moved until the measured length equals a predetermined length, and means for rendering said terminating means operable in response to the accumulation of said predetermined length on the reel.
 7. An apparatus for distributing a predetermined amount of advancing strand as set forth in claim 6, wherein said measuring means includes: means for detecting a first accumulation of strand on the reel indicative of an amount of strand substantially equal to one layer of convolutions of strand less than the predetermined amount; means responsive to the detection of said first accumulation for rendering said second limit moving means operable, and means for detecting a second accumulation of strand on the reel indicative of a length of strand equal to the predetermined length.
 8. An apparatus for controlling the distribution of a length of a strand material equal to one final layer of convolutions thereof between first and second boundaries on the winding surface of a rotating take-up element at a time when the advancing strand is being directed toward the first boundary, which comprises: means for reversing the direction of the strand at the first boundary to direct it toward the second boundary; means for reversing the direction of the strand when it has travelled toward the second boundary a distance equal to one-half the distance it was originally positioned from said second boundary when the strand was adjacent to the first boundary to direct it toward said first boundary, and means for terminating the advancement of the strand when it is again adjacent the first boundary.
 9. Distributing apparatus for guiding strand material onto a take-up reel, which comprises: a first drive screw mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the take-up reel; reversible means coupled to said first drive screw for driving said first drive screw in timed relation to the peripheral speed of the winding surface of the reel; guide means threadedly engaging and motivated by said first drive screw for transverse movement along the winding surface of said reel for forming superimposed layers of convolutions of strand material on the reel; first control means adjacent to a first axial end of the reel and actuated by the transverse movement of said guide means in a first direction along the winding surface of the reel for causing said reversible means to reverse the drive of said first drive screw to cause transverse movement of said guide means in a second reverse direction along the winding surface of said reel; a second drive screw mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis of said reel and spaced from said first drive screw; clutch means selectively actuable to couple said reversible means to said second drive screw for driving said second drive screw nonreversibly; second control means threadedly engaging and normally located at an end of said second drive screw adjacent to an opposite end of the reel and actuated by the transverse movement of said guide means in said second direction for causing said reversible means to reverse the drive of said first drive screw to cause transverse movement of said guide means in said first directiOn along the winding surface of said reel whereby said guide means is caused to reciprocate along the winding surface of said reel to distribute successively formed superimposed layers of strand material on the reel; means responsive to the accumulation of an amount of strand material representative of substantially the last desired layer of convolutions on the reel for actuating said clutch means to drive said second drive screw to move said second control means therealong toward said first control means at the same speed as said guide means is moved along the winding surface of the reel; means responsive to the subsequent actuation of said second control means by the transverse movement of said guide means for deactuating said clutch means and for causing said reversible means to reverse the drive of said first drive screw to move said guide means toward said first control means, and means responsive to the accumulation of a second amount of strand material representative of an ultimately desired amount on the reel for terminating the advancement of the strand onto the reel.
 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said clutch means comprises: a rotatable drive shaft; selectively actuable motion transmitting means for coupling said drive shaft to said second drive screw; a first one-way clutch coupling said drive shaft to said reversible means for rotating said shaft in a predetermined direction when said reversible means is operated in a normal mode and for slipping with respect to said drive shaft when said reversible means operates in a reverse mode, and a second one-way clutch coupling said drive shaft to said reversible means for rotating said shaft in said same predetermined direction when said reversible means is operated in a reverse mode and for slipping with respect to said drive shaft when said reversible means is operated in a normal mode. 